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Will 2WD do?

Hi everyone. This is my first post to this forum. It looks like I will be getting my dad's old 88 1/2 ton 2wd Suburban pretty soon, as he's finally looking for a new car. I'm going to be rebuilding the stock 350 using some parts from one of the Edelbrock performer power packages, and other than that, the only thing wrong with it is that it's not 4 wheel drive.

This brings me to my question. A friend of mine and I managed to get his 4 wheel drive Jeep stuck in a mud puddle that my girlfriend could probably have ridden a bicycle through. Apparantly we got "high centered" in some ruts. At any rate, at that time I realized that knowing how to drive was at least as important, if not more so, that having a cool, 4 wheel drive truck.

So, what I'm wondering is, since I'm wanting to learn to be a bit better driver and know how to avoid getting stuck while still being able to go where I want to go, is it worth learning how to offroad in a 2 wheel drive truck with maybe just a few little mods like a 1" or 2" lift and some good tires, or would I be better off taking the plunge and buying something that already has 4WD? Thanks!

Hey John-
I don't even know where to start. You can do a lot with a two wheel drive truck, but it basically comes down to what you want from it. If you just want to be able to get out hunting and fishing a little ways off the beaten path, then you should be able to get that from your 2wd no problem. If you want to be able to ralley off road with other 4 wheel drivers that are modified, and being used, it'll probably be a stretch.

Part of me from about 5 years ago would have said GO FOR IT!! Add some leafs to your rear spring pack, stuff the biggest mud tires under the rear fenders that will fit, went up the rear spider gears in your diff for a full time locker, and get a set of headers that point straight up through the hood!

But really, how much fun will that rig be when you have to drive it every day? It'll ride like hell, probably grenade your rear end in not too long, look kinda funny, and the headers out the hood, yikes, hard to get/keep girls with those.

So, if you want a fairly capable off road 2 wheel drive rig, there's a few things you can do. A mild 2 or 3 inch lift will get you the ride height you'd have with a stock 4x4, a set of good all terain tires, say 31-33 inches tall (whatever doesn't rub when you're turning), and a locker or limited slip in the back, depending on how much you're gunna use it, and your budget.

Also, if you want to keep your rig cherry, lower it, put some 18 inch wheels on it and hop in with your friends when you leave the pavement

Remember, you can't beat physics, and that's a HEAVY rig, with only 2 wheels pushing it. Probably 1 wheel pushing it as it sits now. And if you're gunna play in the show, CHAINS. Remember, the more stuff you add, and modifications you make, the worse you CAN get stuck. Email me if you have any questions and I'll show you some pictures of what I'm talking about

hey John, we the first thing is 4x4-4x4-4x4..
I cannot stress it enough. why waste your time
building a 2wd that will make you constantly have to wonder will it go through that, when you could have a 4x4 and then wonder, well if i go for it how will i clean it when i'm done.
I have tried going off road with my 87 gmc
2wd with a 3 inch lift and 35 inch mudders and
the only thing that got me was more stuck and
then it was a "tractor pull"!!!
So if you have the budget for a 4x4 then
make it so, if not good luck!
If the budget is the problem, maybe drive
the 2wd and not modify it and save up for a
4x4..